


Our Better Decisions

by theoneandonlylittlebird



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Post Episode Fic, UST to RST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-30 21:03:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10172021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoneandonlylittlebird/pseuds/theoneandonlylittlebird
Summary: The Well restores all kinds of things. This follows the Well scene in 6X11 directly. Fluff n' smut for your enjoyment. Nothin' but yum. TEA 2018 nominee for Best Post-Ep Fic.





	

Neither had spoken in a full ten minutes at least.

She could feel the backs of his fingers still rubbing at the folded fabric of her coat where it wrinkled at her elbow. Trees whispered to each other high up in the darkened canopy. They had confessed their regrets and mistakes to the Well, yet again, and the conversation had definitely reached its conclusion, but Belle had not felt the urge to leave. It would seem that neither had Rumple.

Belle's mind felt like a quieter place here, out in the woods with him, where they had been married. The last few weeks had been a hurricane of pain, so against all of her better judgement, Belle clung to the first modicum of calm she could find. Even if the source of that calm was the same as the source of the recent strife.

She agreed with him that they needed to figure out how to help Gideon together.

Still he had not left.

And she had not left.

So there they were, at the Well where they were married. Together.

That might not mean what it had before, but it meant something.

Belle listened to the soft rasp of his fingers against her jacket and she watched their steady progress, back and forth, back and forth. His face was soft and his eyes were far away as he stared into the blackness of the Well. She had no doubt that her face mirrored his somber one and that their thoughts walked similar paths. Regret, fear for Gideon, longing for each other.

Her sudden step toward him did not appear to startle or surprise him at all. His arms slid around her without the slightest hesitation. Maybe he had come to the same conclusion at the same moment.

At last Belle could feel the heat from his body as he enfolded her in his arms. With his forehead burrowing against her temple, his breath ruffled her hair and ear. Belle snuggled herself as close to him as she could get and he did the same. They fitted themselves as tightly together as possible and he began to rock them gently, as he always did.

There was no need to say anything. Words could wait.

She inhaled the scent of his skin as though she had been trapped underwater for far too long. She unabashedly took in great lungfuls of his fragrance. Warmth, clean clothes, wool, what she thought of as magic and him, masculine, unique and hers. She knew he was doing the same.

Her body stopped squirming to get closer to his when the bridge of her nose came to rest just beneath his ear, tucked under his jaw. Belle relaxed.

Rumple relaxed.

The night sounds continued around them.

Belle did not know how long they stood together but the cold had just begun to seep through her coat when red fog swirled and she and Rumple reappeared in their warm kitchen.

He made no move to release her from his arms even after their magical transport but he said softly, "Let me make us some dinner?"

Belle nodded, she was hungry and food sounded good. She also refused to think too carefully about what was happening or allow herself to begin making decisions based on recent events.

"I have leeks fresh from the farmer's market to go with the mussels. The dregs of a bottle of wine is in the fridge and I have that fresh artisan butter you like. Pasta?" No one who saw the warmth in Rumple's tender gaze would ever believe that those same eyes belonged to the Dark One.

But no, Belle refused to think about anything so messy as that. Dinner was a safe and uncomplicated topic, a safe place for thoughts and actions.

"Pasta sounds wonderful, Rumple." Belle went to the fridge and started handing out ingredients which she did not have to search for, accustomed to one another's habits as they were. 

Without speaking, Rumple handed Belle the colander and she traded him the leeks for it. Side by side, they worked at the sink. In concert. Tuned to one another.

Belle emptied the mussels into the colander as he gently rinsed the leeks free of earth. He passed the water over to her just as she was ready for it.

His knife made a rhythmic chopping sound as Belle cleaned the mussels thoroughly.

Butter simmered in the bottom of a pot.

Leeks sizzled and released their perfume.

Both Belle and Rumple inhaled deeply.

Pepper cracked in its mill as Rumple seasoned the caramelizing leeks.

She smelled garlic next.

All Rumple had to do was turn his head and reach for the cleaned shellfish when he had finished preparing the base and was ready for them. They had done this so many times. Different recipes, but they worked so well together in the kitchen, even without saying a word.

The lid went on the pot and Belle accepted the cutting board from Rumple to rinse while he took the empty wine bottle to the recycling.

They worked the pasta machine together in sync until they had a lovely linguine ready and waiting its turn. Rumple's hand brushed hers while he wiped down the counter as she lifted the bowl of raw pasta out of the way for him.

The cooking smells made Belle's insides gurgle loudly and Rumple paused to smile at her.

"Not long," he promised.

Belle found herself smiling back as she pressed a hand to her impatient belly. She saw Rumple swallow and look away hastily.

Gideon should be here with them, within her, still. Not a safe thought!

She pushed it away and retrieved the place settings they would need as Rumple mixed their salad greens and then began slicing some toppings for each of them.

"We need to get our son a cell phone, so we can let him know when dinner is ready." Rumple said with his back to her. Deadpan she thought.

Belle chuckled softly and shared a smile with Rumple as he turned back to the counter with a freshly rinsed tomato.

Just as soon though, they both blinked and looked away.

Belle came around the counter to stand beside him as he finished arranging the tomatoes on their salads. He popped one of the surplus slices into his mouth and then held the other up to her lips.

Without a second thought she opened for him and he laid it gently on her tongue.

Belle's lip brushed his fingers as she closed around the juicy fruit. Rumple's breath hitched and his finger trembled when he drew it along the line of her mouth. She sucked in a trembling breath of her own and turned away to chew.

Not a safe thought.

He would have summer fresh tomatoes in winter. Of course he would. How could she have forgotten?

By the time she swallowed, he had fled to the sink with the knife and cutting board to wash up.

The remainder of the preparation went without further incident until Rumple set a glass of Scotch in front of himself but water in front of her.

They both noticed at the same moment, when they raised their glasses for the toast.

"Oh, Belle, I'm sorry, did you want? I didn't mean to-" He cut himself off with his face crumpled in embarrassed anguish.

Belle swallowed and her eyes stung, "No, no, Rumple, it's ok, that's what I wanted anyway. It's been a long day."

"Yes of course it has." He did not meet her eyes and stared at his plate.

After taking the moment she needed to restore her own calm, she said, "Don't let it get cold, it smells far too good for that." She suited actions to words and popped a hot mussel into her mouth. It was good. So she told him so, "This is delicious, Rumple. Thank you."

"Of course, Belle. You're always welcome."

They ate with only the sounds of silverware on porcelain as accompaniment and Belle told herself it was because it tasted so good and she was very hungry after the day they had had. They had both been starved for quiet moments, she mused and then stopped herself. Again.

The sauce Rumple had made was perfectly balanced and the mussels tender and sweet.

Thinking about food was safe.

But all too soon the plates were empty and the silverware parked neatly.

Belle looked into his eyes, his uncertain and moist eyes, earnest and searching. She wanted to look away but refused herself that comfort. "Rumple, this was lovely. The sauce so well seasoned, as always."

"Thank you," he whispered.

Belle thought his reply was about much more than receiving a compliment with grace. But those thoughts were forbidden so she said, "I'll get the washing up."

She collected their plates and headed for the sink.

With the water on, he was able to come up behind her without her noticing until he reached around her to put their glasses in the sink with the plates, pressing himself to her back in the process.

Rumple's hands froze on the glasses he had just deposited at the bottom of the sink as if he had only just realized his mistake.

Without giving herself the time to think about it, her soapy hand landed on his to keep him from fleeing and he tensed behind her. She could feel his chest rising and falling against her back.

Belle's better judgment screamed at her, but the water was running, deafening her, so she could not be expected to hear it. She leaned back into him laying her head on his shoulder with her jaw tilted toward his. 

With a whooshing exhale, Rumple sandwiched her firmly between himself and the wooden cabinetry. He bent so his nose could trace along her hairline followed by his lower lip leaving a warm, wet line behind it.

Belle blinked and sighed loudly as she arched back to give him better access. His thumb came up under her chin and nudged her to turn around as he made room for her to do so. She obliged.

The moment he could reach her, his open mouth landed on hers, hot and wet and urging. Her soapy hand scrabbled for purchase in his shorn hair while she opened her mouth for his tongue and sucked him softly. She caught his upper lip in her teeth and sucked on that too, to his loud moaning and hers.

A wet hand tangled in her hair and they both took full advantage of the increased leverage for their insistent kissing.

Belle felt magic around her and did not need to open her eyes to know he had taken them to their bed. Beneath her, the soft comforter rustled as they moved. His stocking foot ran up her calf as he continued to kiss her deeply. Belle felt him pressed between their bodies when she rolled her hips upward and he groaned, breaking their kiss.

Knowing they were not going to get so far as to take all their clothes off, Belle drove her hands under his suit jacket to yank his shirt out of his pants. A moment later, while he kissed and nibbled down her neck, she felt one of his hands pulling her shirt from her own pants.

Their hands collided between their bodies as they both went for belts and zippers at the same time. Rumple grunted and Belle huffed and they rolled away from one another in frustration long enough to kick their pants and underwear down around their ankles. Rumple kicked hard enough to free one foot before he wriggled back up to kiss her thoroughly once more. He did not wait for her to get free of her own encumbrance.

He was hard and hot and left a wet sticky trail against her bare thigh. No sooner had Belle finally freed her own foot, so she could wrap her leg around his waist, than his hand had found its way to her wetness. He palmed her first and she thrust against his hand with a moan. She panted and arched when he plunged two fingers within and crooked them. Stroking, stroking and oh! His thumb found where it needed to go, worked its magic, and Belle cried out as her body spasmed around his fingers, trying to wring itself out and explode all at the same time.

Rumple groaned himself as he withdrew his fingers to hastily knead at her breast through her clothing. Trying to catch her breath and kiss him senseless at the same time proved difficult, but Belle did her best when she captured his face between her palms. He was sloppily trying to kiss her back but, distracted by his own need, he kept thrusting against her, his head bumping and rubbing against her wet folds while he sought purchase on the silky and slippery bedclothes.

It was Belle who reached between them to grasp him firmly in hand and align them. Rumple panted and keened as his head pushed inside.

Her own sigh was loud as she brought her pelvis to meet his and he filled her completely. Rumple cried out at the sensation and she joined him as they began to thrust together.

That sweet tightness began building within her again and she met his thrusts faster, quickening their pace.

Rumple kissed her once more then buried his face in her hair to latch his mouth onto her neck moaning and sucking lightly. His teeth grazed her in the occasional nip. He increased the pace yet again, panting and clearly beyond any control. As was she.

He was thrusting so deep and Belle felt herself on the verge so she pushed a hand between them to roll her hood between her fingers. With a surge of heat and sensation she clenched around him and cried out as wave after wave carried her off in a series of helpless arching thrusts. She heard his voice and felt a jet of heat when he finished. They both squirmed against one another as they came down, sighing and stroking whatever they could reach.

At last they gave in to lazy kissing as they lay side by side once he had slipped from within her.

Belle was the first to chuckle.

"What?" he murmured catching her lips and preventing her from answering immediately.

"It's just that I dimly remember a similar situation getting us to where we are now." Belle smiled against his stubbly cheek and kissed it.

"That's a dim memory for you? I was the one who was drunk. I believe I am offended." His voice was warm and full of humor.

"Not such a dim memory, you're right."

Belle found his lips and kissed him some more.

"But you're right too. This is how we made Gideon." Rumple pulled her tightly against him despite the awkwardness of each of them having their pants hanging on to their legs each by just one ankle. "Do you regret that? This?"

He was clutching her and though he tried to hide it, she could hear the plea in his voice.

She leaned her forehead against his and shook her head. "While it may not have been one of our better thought out decisions, I will never, could never, regret our son."

His breath hitched before he said, "And I will never regret loving you because loving you is always a good decision. It's one of the few things I can be absolutely certain of."

"I've missed you," Belle whispered.

"And I've missed you." He kissed her gently, "We won't regret what we do together out of love, Belle, I promise."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed! Written for no other reason than fluffy/smutty feel-good satisfaction. And because I was in such a good mood after 6X11. You can find me on Tumblr under the same username and I hope you do.


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